Gherkin
Gherkin is the plain-language, structured syntax used to write Behavior-Driven Development scenarios in a Given/When/Then format — readable by non-technical stakeholders while still being precise enough for tools like Cucumber and SpecFlow to parse and execute as automated tests.
A Gherkin file (a "feature file") describes behavior in structured English: Feature (what's being described), Scenario (a specific example), and Given/When/Then/And steps that describe the starting state, the action, and the expected outcome. Each step maps to a piece of automation code (a "step definition") that actually executes it.
The value of Gherkin isn't the syntax itself — it's that the exact same document reviewed and agreed on by a product owner is the literal thing running in CI, with no translation gap between "what we agreed to build" and "what's actually being tested."
Example
Feature: Password reset
Scenario: User requests a reset link with a valid email
Given a registered user is on the "Forgot Password" page
When they submit their registered email address
Then they receive a password reset email within 1 minuteA Gherkin feature file — plain English, but executable.
